Is will power over-hyped?

[Jingthing]

Food for thought.

 

Generally, things aren't as black and white as many people think.

 

Quote

The myth of self-control

“Our prototypical model of self-control is angel on one side and devil on the other, and they battle it out,” Fujita says. “We tend to think of people with strong willpower as people who are able to fight this battle effectively. Actually, the people who are really good at self-control never have these battles in the first place.”

 

[A1Str8]

Way over hyped yes. Like anything else, that is not true. A good way to keep people slaves. Just keep repeating what doesn't work.. Tell them it does work and quite rapidly they will defend it as something that works, even if it's already clear that it doesn't. 

Same goes for control and the devil. Such things never existed in the first place, but since people were made to believe in them, now they get offended if someone tells them the truth, that these are figments of their imagination. 

 

[Scott]

Will power is over hyped if you don't have it.   If you have it, then it's not.  

[1FinickyOne]

They never have these battles? Or they always have these battles but have found a way to win? 

 

When it comes to weight loss - there is a world of difference between not gaining weight and doing things to not gain

 

And

 

losing weight - which is an entirely different experience with a different set of rules and parameters... and degrees of difficulty. 

[Dan5]

I think will power is a losing strategy. It may work for a while, but in the end it will fail. In the long run emotion will win out.

 

Personally I've had great success with hypnosis. In 1981 I weighed 260 some pounds. I saw an ad for hypnosis for weight loss and gave it a try.  Over about a 6 - 8  month period (long time ago I can't remember) I got down to 178,.  And pretty much effortlessly. I still enjoyed eating, but I just didn't want to over eat anymore. No will power required.  And now 30 some years later, I'm about 185. And I've always been under 190 except for a short period in the 190s.  Of course that wasn't the only time I was hypnotized and I've since learned self hypnosis.

 

I've always found it odd that the media though they produce huge numbers of articles about weight loss, never as far as I've seen every even mention hypnosis. Or for stopping smoking for that matter. Though I saw a pamphlet at one time  from the American Heart Association that said that hypnosis was the most effective way to quit smoking and I've know a couple people who successfully quite smoking with hypnosis.

[laislica]

Will power my Ass, I got loads of that!

I need the won't power!

I won't have another beer, cake etc LOL

 

PS

Seriously though, if hormones are involved it may become impossible do do anything but do what your hormones demand.

In the BBC The Truth about Food Series, they showed just how powerful hormones are when it comes to eating.

 

 

Edited November 26, 2016 by laislica

[1FinickyOne]

54 minutes ago, Dan5 said:

I think will power is a losing strategy. It may work for a while, but in the end it will fail. In the long run emotion will win out.

 

Personally I've had great success with hypnosis. In 1981 I weighed 260 some pounds. I saw an ad for hypnosis for weight loss and gave it a try.  Over about a 6 - 8  month period (long time ago I can't remember) I got down to 178,.  And pretty much effortlessly. I still enjoyed eating, but I just didn't want to over eat anymore. No will power required.  And now 30 some years later, I'm about 185. And I've always been under 190 except for a short period in the 190s.  Of course that wasn't the only time I was hypnotized and I've since learned self hypnosis.

 

I've always found it odd that the media though they produce huge numbers of articles about weight loss, never as far as I've seen every even mention hypnosis. Or for stopping smoking for that matter. Though I saw a pamphlet at one time  from the American Heart Association that said that hypnosis was the most effective way to quit smoking and I've know a couple people who successfully quite smoking with hypnosis.

 

Hi Dan - A friend of mine at about age 50, a lifelong smoker, went to a hypnotist one time and never touched a cigarette again... no desire at all. He did ask the hypnotist about weight control.... he was told that was the hardest thing because he could plant the suggestion to never desire a cigarette, but people must continue to eat and so the suggestion, even to eat less, is easily overridden.

 

I have tried that too and had very short term effect - - but maybe the secret is to keep at it, as you say, doing it on your own.  

[Suradit69]

I possess great will power when it comes to denying myself such things as beets, rutabaga and chicken feet. I've also managed to fight off the urge to watch reality tv shows with teams of obnoxious people competing with one another or anything involving amateur performers judged by Simon Cowell . And, without meaning to sound immodest, I've never succumbed to the siren call Donald Trump.

 

Exploiting your will power relies on selecting the appropriate temptations with which to do battle and gritting your teeth for effect. Choose your battles.

 

 

[AlQaholic]

I can power my will to totally ignore this thread.........

[Jingthing]

I think this is more of a philosophy question but it's interesting that scientists are approaching the question scientifically. Well, that is, if you consider PSYCHOLOGY an actual science. 

 

Did I miss the LINK in the OP? 

http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/3/13486940/self-control-psychology-myth

 

[Taggart]

The Willpower Paradox

 

Setting your mind on a goal may be counterproductive. Instead think of the future as an open question

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-willpower-paradox/

[robblok]

You can help will power if your smart.

For instance dont shop for food when your hungry.

I got reasonable will power but if i have chocolate in the house it will be eaten.

Just make things easy and stay away from temptation then you don't have to rely as much on will power.

[Shiver]

Never could stomach those Leptin sandwiches.

[Rhys]

Old billy's dictum...better to be strong and wrong, than weak and right.

[Jingthing]

Old billy's dictum...better to be strong and wrong, than weak and right.

Don't see how that addresses this topic.